Harry Potter and the Calm Before the Storm
by kat-grl1989
Summary: Harry is in his 6th year of school when he learns that he has some new powers and his godfather is not exactly dead. GWHP
1. Back to the Dursely's

A/N: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters you might recognize.  
  
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
Chapter 1- Back to the Dursley's  
  
As Harry was on his way home, Uncle Vernon turned around at a stoplight and flashed him a nasty grin. "You, Boy, when we get home you are going to put your things in your room and put that ruddy bird in its cage. Then you can go clean the basement." Apparently the threat of his godfather had worn off. Not that he had mentioned that he was thought to be dead.  
  
"Yes, Uncle Vernon," he replied. He went back to looking out the window and barely suppressed a gasp as he thought he saw something running right beside his window. _There can't be anything there. We are going at about 60 kph. No, I must be seeing things._ He didn't see what it really looked like but there was something there. He returned to his thoughts about what had happened over the school year.  
  
  
  
The thing beside the window has just flashed by to make sure that Harry was in the car with his uncle and on his way to 4 Privet Drive.  
  
Actually it wasn't just a thing. It was a shade. Sirius's shade, in fact. Instead of being attached to a building he was bound to Harry. He was not quite a ghost and could roam as Harry did. Good thing for him, Harry roamed quite a bit. He wouldn't have enjoyed staying in the same place for long times. And he could help him out a bit. He could make part of his body solid for short periods of time and could use wand-less magic. He had found that out when he magicked his way out of the veil. Unfortunately, his body didn't come with him. But he had unfinished business (taking care of his godson) and couldn't move on to the next life.  
  
  
  
As soon as they got home, Harry put up his trunk and locked Hedwig in her cage. On his way to the basement Dudley came by and pushed him down the stairs. When he stopped at the bottom he just lay there, thinking about what this summer would be like.  
  
"Get up, Boy. We don't feed you to just sit around." Uncle Vernon shouted as he came through the kitchen door.  
  
"Yes, Uncle Vernon." He got up and was on his way through the basement door when Dudley ran into him and knocked him down the stairs.  
  
"Have a nice trip, Potter? Hope you can't find the light." And with that Dudley closed and locked the door, leaving Harry in a heap at the bottom of the stairs in complete darkness. He just got up and walked up the stairs to hit the switch. He had had to do this so many times he knew exactly where the light switch was.  
  
He began with some of the boxes of Dudley's old toys. All of them were broken but Aunt Petunia would not let them be thrown away because they were her Duddykins favorite toys when he was younger. He moved those to the side and found a box of Dudley's old clothes. They looked almost exactly like the ones he had on. His were dyed gray though.  
  
He didn't feel like cleaning the basement so he took a bunch of the boxes and put them in new rows and stacks just to make it look like he did something. Then he got the broom and dustpan and swept the floors. When he got done he went up the stairs and banged on the door for someone to open up. Unfortunately, it was Uncle Vernon that opened the door. "Are you finished yet, Boy."  
  
"Almost, I just need to throw away this dirt. Then I am finished."  
  
"Don't you get that tone with me. I don't like it. And just for that, no meals for three days. Be glad I didn't make it more." And with that he turned around and walked back into the den, probably to sit and think of more chores for Harry to do.  
  
Harry walked all the way to the den door and stopped. He had to go through the den to put the dirt in the dustbin outside. That would mean letting Uncle Vernon see him. With a sigh of resignation he entered the room and walked as quickly as he could without making it seem as though he didn't want to be seen. He made it out the door before he was yelled at, but he still had to go back through. So he started on the return trip but was not so lucky. Uncle Vernon was waiting for him.  
  
"Potter. Now that you have finished the basement you need to move all of your stuff back into the cupboard. Marge is coming to visit and you can't expect us to make her sleep in there, can you?"  
  
"No, Uncle Vern-"  
  
"What are you waiting for? Move."  
  
Harry jumped and made for the door before he could get into more trouble. ****_Of course we can't expect her to fit in there, she's too fat. We would have to take off the door to get her bulk in there. Oh well, it's not like I have anywhere else to be. Maybe I can just stay away from everyone. Or at least get work outside. Maybe suggesting it will help. I get to be outside and Uncle Vernon thinks I have been broken. Yeah, that's what I'll do._****  
  
He moved his trunk and Hedwig into the cupboard. Hedwig didn't mind the dark but didn't like the closeness of the room. He turned and promised that he would get her out, even though he didn't know how right now. Then he walked back into the den to ask his uncle if he could weed the garden and wash the car.  
  
"You want to weed the garden? And wash my car? Well, I guess you can. But do not come back inside until you are done. If you so much as miss one spot on that car your punishment will be much worse than it already is. Oh, Boy. Have you moved all your stuff? Marge will be here any minute."  
  
"Yes, Uncle Vernon." Out the door he went. He would weed the garden first because it was so hot and when he was done he could drink some of the water from the hose.  
  
Out in the garden it looked like it hadn't been weeded since the last time he had been made to do it. There were weeds all over the place. It seemed as though they had been planted there just to make it more difficult for him. ****_Well, at least I will have to be out here for a while. Since Aunt Marge is coming I am going to have a hard time controlling my temper. Too bad the Ministry didn't let her keep the memory of me blowing her up and floating like a balloon. Then maybe she wouldn't be so quick to make me angry. But it can't be helped. Then she would know that I can do magic and probably would have had someone put me in an asylum.****_ He got back to weeding and saw something that was moving and green. He had read about snakes like those in one of Dudley's books. It was a boa constrictor. Like the one he had accidentally freed and set on his cousin. This one was much too small to be that one, though. It seemed as though Dudley had gotten a new pet and gotten bored with it.  
  
**What are you doing here?** He asked it. If snakes could look surprised this one definitely did.  
  
**I was put in this glass box and taken to the fat person's room. The woman that lives there fed me, but the boy wanted me to do something. All I wanted to do was keep warm under my light but he kept picking me up. After about three months of this I tired of being treated like a toy and bit him. I was really angry because he kept doing this. After I bit him he opened the window and threw me out. I heard him running down the stairs and screaming that I bit him. Then to make it seem even more real he asked if he was bleeding. Lucky for him I am not poisonous. How is it that you can talk to me and I understand. Nobody in that house could.**  
  
**I am a parslemouth. I can talk to snakes. Or threstrals. They speak parsletongue, too. By the way, I'm Harry.**  
  
**Ah. Well I am glad that I now have someone to talk to. I was just thinking of leaving but now I am going to stay. Thanks. And my name is Mikkhail.  
**  
**You will still have to find your own food because I can't get you any.  
**  
**That's fine. I have become rather fond of catching my own. It is much more fun that having food shoved down your throat.**  
  
**Ok. I have to get back to work but you can stay and talk if you want.**  
  
Harry got back to his weeding. It took him about an hour but he was finally done. ****_Now I have to clean the car. What a joy.****_ He grabbed the soap and brush and walked around to the front of the house. The car was filthy. It looked as though it have been through the mud which it probably had just to make it harder to clean. He turned on the hose and got to work. Just as he was finishing Dudley ran by and chucked a bunch of dirt on it. So now he had to do it again. Just at that time, Aunt Marge pulled up in a rental.  
  
"Here, Boy. When you are done you can clean this too." She parked it right beside Uncle Vernon's car. When he didn't answer he, she went inside. "No proper manners. I'll have to talk to Vernon about that," she muttered as she went inside. He got back to work cleaning the cars, and when he was done he went inside. Immediately Uncle Vernon started yelling at him.  
  
"Boy, you are supposed to answer when you are addressed." He pulled off his belt and Harry flinched.  
  
  
  
Harry's PoV  
  
Uncle Vernon started pulling off his belt and as soon as he got it off he raised it to hit me. I caught a glimpse of something holding on to it and turned my head so as not to see the belt hit. After the first strike I waited. And waited. But the belt only struck once. So I waited for another.  
  
"Bloody boy. I told you not to do that stuff in my house. Now you will not have food for an added week for that stunt. With that he dragged him into the cupboard and locked it to make sure he didn't sneak out to get food.  
  
  
  
Sirius's PoV  
  
I just knew that I couldn't let Harry get hit. I focused on my hands and making them solid for long enough to hold the belt back. I knew that Vernon would keep trying until he hit him. It took a lot of my strength to hold that belt. I think Harry might have seen me. It doesn't matter. At least he didn't get hurt. Now I have to think of a way to get some food to him.  
  
  
  
Harry was just sitting in his cupboard thinking of what it would be like if his parents hadn't died. He would have been much happier and would be encouraged to learn all the magic he could. Not to mention his parents would probably help him.  
  
Hedwig gave a faint hoot. "I know. I think I might know how to get you out of here. And I want you to take some letters for me. Ok?" She nodded her head in a very human-like fashion. "Thanks, Hed."  
  
He started writing out the letters. There was one for Professor Dumbledore, Remus Lupin, and Arthur Weasley. He knew Hedwig would deliver them all and in good time. At least she would be able to eat while she was gone. He tied the letters to her legs. "Ok, Hed. You have to be quite while my cloak is on you. I think Uncle Vernon will be here to open the door in a little."  
  
Just as these words left his mouth the door was opened.  
  
"You are going to go outside and wait while we eat then you are to come inside. And remember. You go to St. Brutis's. If you say anything different you will not go back to that school of yours. Got it?"  
  
"Yes, Uncle Vernon." But he had already walked back into the dining room. "Well, Hed, here we go." He picked her up and walked outside. "Ok. Remember. This letter for Dumbledore. This letter for Mr. Weasley. And this letter for Remus. See you when you get back. And make sure I am the only one that sees you. Ok?" She gave another of those nods and flew off.  
  
****_Well, I guess all I can do is wait.****_   
  
"You, Boy. Come in here."  
  
He sighed and walked back into the house to sit and be the Dursley's plaything. 


	2. Unexpected Letters

A/N: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters you might recognize.  
  
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!  
  
Chapter 2: Unexpected Letters  
  
When Harry got in the living room Uncle Vernon pointed to an uncomfortable- looking old chair. "Sit." He commanded.  
  
"Yes, Uncle Vernon," he replied as he took the seat.  
  
"Vernon! I thought that boy ran away. You know he isn't good for anything. Can you just put him out on the streets or send him to a factory in some other country. You know, one of the ones where the children work for a dollar a day that starts at 5 am and ends at 9 pm. I think that would do him good, don't you?" Aunt Marge asked.  
  
"Yes, I think it would but unfortunately we have already paid for another two years at St. Brutis's. They wouldn't give us our money back if we asked. Too bad we didn't think of that though," Uncle Vernon said.  
  
"What do you say to that, Boy. Your aunt and uncle are so nice, aren't they. They paid good money to have you fixed at that school. You had better be glad that they took you in and raised you. I wouldn't have. No, sir. You would have been at an orphanage before the day was out had you been dropped on my doorstep."  
  
Harry kept looking at the floor. No one seemed to noticed the faraway look in his eyes. _Just ignore them. Think of what will happen when your letters arrive. Imagine the look on the Dursely's faces when they find out that Hedwig is gone from her cage. Maybe I'll get sent outside again and get to talk to Mikkhail. He seemed like he needed a friend and that's definitely what I could use while I'm here._  
  
"Boy. Boy. Answer me, Boy. I asked you some questions, Boy. Vernon, I think you need to straighten him out. Then you should write to that school of his and tell them that they need to put more force behind those whippings. They don't seem to have penetrated his thick skull yet."  
  
Startled back into the conversation in the room, Harry quickly looked around.  
  
"What are you looking at, Boy. Nothing for you to steal here." Aunt Marge stated.  
  
"Who said I was looking for something to take?" and with that he quickly dropped his head and scowled at the floor.  
  
"Are you catching attitude with me, Boy. Vernon, I want you to take this-- this-boy- outside and teach him a few things."  
  
"I think I will, Marge," he replied. To Harry, "Get up, Boy. Get moving. I told you I would finish that punishment."  
  
As Harry walked outside Uncle Vernon pulled off his belt once again. "You had better not stop this belt this time. Or else it will be much worse.  
  
  
  
Sirius's PoV  
  
I saw that man-Vernon- take Harry outside and knew that I had to stop him again. I started getting ready to be solid once again and tried to grab the belt before it hit Harry. Unfortunately, I wasn't solid enough. I only managed to slow the belt before it hit. It left a welt, but will probably go away in a week.  
  
Pride welled in my heart. Even as hard as the belt hit, Harry didn't flinch. _That boy is tough._ I knew I couldn't say anything out loud yet or Vernon would hear me and Harry would know that I was here and tell Dumbledore and Remus.  
  
Then just as the belt was coming down again I used all my strength and emotions to stop it. It worked that time. The belt didn't strike again. Using wand-less magic I made the belt leap back through the belt loops and stick. He would have to wash the pants to get that belt off.  
  
Vernon was so angry that he had been thwarted not once but _twice_ and resorted to using his hands and feet to beat Harry. This made me angrier and stronger than before. I made my whole body solid, though invisible, and put myself between the man and my godson.  
  
When he couldn't hit Harry anymore he yelled at him.  
  
"You worthless freak. You and that bloody bird of your will rot in the cupboard. No one can save you now. Not even than godfather of yours. That's right. There is no one to save you this time. Now, go. You will be let out once a day to go to the bathroom."  
  
  
  
"Yes, Uncle Vernon," he walked to the cupboard, muttering under his breath. _Little does he know that Hedwig is already on her way to the Burrow, 12 Grimmauld Place, and Hogwarts. There was no way that he could keep him from being rescued._ He smirked at the ground. _What's a muggle like his Uncle Vernon gonna do to stop the greatest wizard of his time from entering his house, try to shoot him?_ He busted out laughing at the memory of his first year when Uncle Vernon tried to shoot Hagrid when he came to give Harry his letter. All Hagrid had to do was bend the barrel. That gun never did work properly after that.  
  
He looked up. He just so happened to be in the den. Where the rest of the family was sitting. _Oops. Now they really think I'm crazy. Uncle Vernon is going to have to try and beat me again. I wonder why he has only hit me twice, though. It seems as though something is keeping him from carrying out his task. Maybe it's like what Dumbledore was talking about. The magic that is only available when the user is in danger. Erratic magic. That must be it. What else could it be? _He looked around quickly to make sure Dobby wasn't there. No one was. _No, it couldn't be Dobby. Unless he has learned the difference between save and hurt._ He chuckled again. This time he was alone in the kitchen.  
  
_Well, seeing as how everyone is busy in the den I might as well grab me some food._ He opened the fridge and sighed. There seemed to be nothing that would be edible cold. _I wonder what that is._ He picked up a bag that was set under container of broccoli. _Pizza? I thought Dudley was still on that diet. Maybe Uncle Vernon didn't want to eat so much health food and ordered out at work. He probably ate almost all of it and this is what is left. Oh, well. Looks good to me._ He grabbed the bag and quietly closed the fridge. He ran to his cupboard and shut the door before anyone noticed that he has stopped walking.  
  
"Pepperoni," he said to no one. He had eaten all three slices before he stopped. He sighed when he was done. _That was great._ Out loud, "I wish I had someone to talk to."  
  
  
  
"Mars Bars, "Dumbledore said to the gargoyle guarding his door. As he stepped on the revolving staircase he started thinking about that delightful candy. _What a wonderful thing the muggles made. Almost as good as some of their other inventions._ "Ah. Here we are." The door opened just as he reached the top of the staircase. _I wonder if that door is charmed to open automatically for the current headmaster or headmistress. Oh, well._ He sat down at his desk and reached for a quill and a piece of parchment he was working on before lunch.  
  
Just as he was about to dip the quill in an inkpot, there was a sharp noise that came suddenly from somewhere behind him. **/tap, tap, tap/** "What's this?" He spun around and looked out the window. A snow white owl was perched on the sill outside. It rapped on the window again. "All right," he said as he opened the window. "Are you, by any chance, Harry Potter's bird?" She bobbed her head in an unmistakable nod. Then she held out her leg to which was attached three letters. "Is one of those for me?" Another nod. He untied the letter that had 'Professor Dumbledore' written on it and opened it.  
  
Professor Dumbledore,  
I hope this reaches you in good time. I told Hedwig to visit  
you first. I need someone to come get me from the Dursely's. Uncle  
Vernon has already tried to whip me and has taken away my food for  
more than a week. I'm afraid that if I am here for much longer I will  
lose control of my magic again like that time a couple of summers ago.  
  
Sincerely,  
Harry Potter  
  
After rereading the letter two more times, Dumbledore began a reply. " 'Dear Harry, I will arrange for someone to come pick you up in the next couple of days. Have all your things ready and try not to lose control of your emotions. Also sincerely, Albus Dumbledore' I think that should do. Hedwig, would you care for some water before you return to your travels?" She gave another of those nods and gulped down the water he had summoned for her. "Please deliver this to Harry as soon as you can." He tied it to her left leg and with that she flew through the still-open window. He watched he fly until she disappeared from sight.  
  
"I guess I will have to put off my work for just a bit longer," he said to himself and with a sigh started running through a mental list of Order members that would be free either right now or soon.  
  
  
  
All night Harry lay in his cupboard listening to the sounds of the Dursley's snoring. He kept having nightmares when he finally fell asleep. The first he had that night was when Cedric died. He couldn't help thinking it was his fault. _If only I had been quicker or not made Cedric grab the Cup then he would still be alive._ After he woke up from that one he took a little longer to get back to sleep because the images were still flashing through his mind.  
  
When he finally did, though, he had an even worse nightmare; Voldemort's rebirth. He knew it was not his fault but still could not repress the wave of self-loathing that welled when that night was remembered.  
  
When he next got to sleep, he dreamed of the Department of Mysteries. Now he knew the doors, but when he entered the room with the veil, he froze in remembrance. The scene from that night a couple of months ago started. He saw himself lose the prophecy and Neville try to catch it. Then he saw Sirius start to duel with Bellatrix. The green light shot from her wand and his godfather fell into the veil. After this nightmare, he woke in a cold sweat and could not stop shivering. _Oh, Sirius. I wish you were still alive. Then I could be at your house and we could be enjoying the summer._ _Maybe you could even teach me how to become an Animigus. That would have been great. Now we will never get to do that._  
  
Before he got much further in this train of thought there was an annoying knock on the cupboard door.  
  
"Wake up, Boy. It's time for you to make breakfast. Don't try to take any, and don't burn it or Vernon will get you. Up, now. Up. Up. Up." And with that Aunt Petunia walked up the stairs to wake up her husband and blob of a son. Aunt Marge was already on her way down. _Great. Just what I need. An audience while I make a breakfast that I can't eat. Today is going to be great.  
_  
As he was opening his door, Dudley ran by, knocked him back in and slammed the door again. "Hurry up, Potter. Wouldn't want my father to catch you slacking now, would you?" He laughed and walked into the kitchen to also wait for Harry to start cooking.  
  
When he got in the kitchen he pulled out two skillets and a loaf of bread. Aunt Petunia had already gotten out the bacon and eggs. _She's probably counted the slices of bacon to make sure I don't eat any. Not that she'd have to worry. Dudley would tell her if I did._  
  
After he got breakfast done and put on their plates Uncle Vernon sent him outside. "Go do something. After breakfast you can rake the yard." So Harry did as he was told and went outside to 'do something.'  
  
There was a slight rustle in the garden and suddenly Mikkhail's head was poking out of some bushes that were low to the ground.  
  
**Harry! Have you come out to talk some more?** he asked.  
  
**I guess I have. You see, I'm not allowed inside right now and don't have to start my work until after they get done with breakfast,** Harry replied.  
  
**Ok. While you work I will be looking for something to eat but for now I think I will just sit here and start getting warm.  
**  
About twenty minutes later there was a yell from inside. "Time to start working, Boy. And don't come in until you are finished," Uncle Vernon yelled from inside.  
  
"Yes, Uncle Vernon," he said.  
  
  
  
Arthur looked up as the twins and Ron came downstairs for breakfast. "Good morning, children. I trust you are having a good vacation so far."  
  
"Yeah, Dad. It's been great." Ron said.  
  
"Yeah, Dad. Just great." The twins went back to their conversation in low whispers.  
  
"Hey! It's Hedwig. Harry sent a letter. Oh, and the Prophet is here, Dad." Ron said as two owls landed on the table. As Ron made a grab for Hedwig, she nipped his finger and turned to his father.  
  
"Oh, I guess it's for me then." He untied one of the remaining letters on her right foot and unfolded it.  
  
Dear Mr. Weasley,  
I was wondering if Ron could come spend a week or two with me at  
Grimmauld place. If he can could you please send a note back with  
Hedwig and I will send her to you again when I get there.  
  
Sincerely,  
Harry  
  
He burst out laughing at the formality of the letter. "Sounds like Harry wants you to come spend a few weeks with him at Grimmauld Place, Ron. Interesting way he put it though."  
  
"Sure I'll go. Are you going to write him back?" Ron asked.  
  
"I will right now if you get me something to write with." At this Ron jumped up to get a quill.  
  
"Don't worry about it, Ron," said George. "Yeah, we'll get it," Fred finished.  
  
"_Accio quill!_" they both shouted. About ten quills came racing to them. "Whoops. Didn't mean to do that. Oh, well, here you go, Dad."  
  
"Thanks, Gred and Forge...I mean Fred and George," Mr. Weasely said.  
  
Dear Harry,  
Ron said he would love to go and is awaiting your owl.  
  
Hope you're enjoying your summer,  
Arthur  
  
"All right. Hedwig?" She held out her left leg and he quickly tied the letter to it. "Will you have a piece of bacon before you go?" She bobbed her head and gently plucked the bacon from his hand. In two gulps it was gone and a moment later so was she.  
  
  
  
It was getting late and Remus was just finishing dinner at Grimmauld Place. _Two more weeks until the full moon. I need to write Snape and ask him to send me some of that potion._ He got up to put his plate in the sink. As he started washing it, he noticed that there was an owl outside of the window above the sink. "Hold on, Hedwig. I'll get that window open in a second. He unlocked it and pulled. Hedwig glided onto the table where she held out her leg that had only one letter on it. "A letter from Harry?" She bobbed her head. "Just a moment." He untied the letter that had 'Remus' in Harry's untidy scrawl and opened it.  
  
Dear Remus,  
I was wondering where you are staying at right now. If you  
are at Sirius's house would you mind if Ron and I come to stay for a  
couple of weeks. I also want to invite Ginny and Hermione. Please  
send your answer back with Hedwig.  
  
Truly,  
Harry  
  
"What do you think, Hedwig? Should I let all of them come here for a while?" She gave him another nod and a small hoot. "Ok. Hold on while I get something to write on and with." He walked into the parlor which was now clean because of Molly's antics. On the desk was a scrap of parchment and an eagle quill. He dipped the quill and wrote:  
  
Dear Harry,  
Sure you can come. I am at Sirius's house and would love  
the company. Perhaps when Hermione gets here she will be able to make  
my potion. If not  
then all of you will have the house to yourselves for a couple of  
days.  
  
See you soon,  
Remus  
  
"There we go. Hedwig, are you ready for a delivery?" She held out the leg that now held no letters and waited patiently for him to tie the letter on. "Thank you, Hedwig." With that she flew through the window again and was gone.  
  
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!! 


	3. The BreakIn and the Elf

A/N: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters you might recognize.  
  
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!  
  
Chapter 3: The Break-In and the Elf  
  
Harry woke to a small noise. _Sounds like one of the Dursely's are making a bathroom run. Maybe it's Dudley gone to raid the fridge. Too bad he woke me--I wonder what that could be._  
  
Outside his door came a voice.  
  
"These people look pretty rich. Wonder where they got everything stashed." A male's voice.  
  
"Shhh! Keep your voice down. You might wake someone." This time it was a woman's voice.  
  
_Sounds like someone has broken in. I wonder why the alarm hasn't gone off yet. Better get ready, though. They might decide that the closet is the best place to hide valuable things._ He pulled on his glasses and picked up his wand from the floor beside the bed.  
  
"Hey, Star. Check out this door. Think there might be a safe in there?" the man asked.  
  
_Yeah, that's exactly what they think._ He braced himself and quickly ran through a list of possible spells that wouldn't get him into too much trouble. He decided on the full body bind. The only problem was that there were two of them.  
  
Just then the door opened. "It's dark, Warren. Get a flashlight." A small rustling sound from somewhere beyond the door. "Hurry up. And don't make so much noise."  
  
"Ok, ok. Here." He handed it to her. "Make sure you look all over. They might have a hidden panel or something."  
  
She turned on the light and flicked it around the tiny space. "Hey, someone's in he-" Harry shot the hex right at her chest. Her legs and arms sprang against her sides and she fell forward.  
  
He poked his head and chest in the doorway. "What did you tri-" He was hit with the same spell.  
  
_Wonder what I'm gonna do with them. Maybe I should call the police. Yeah, but first I'll stun them so it'll look like I hit them or something._  
  
"Stupify, Stupify," he whispered, pointing to Star and then Warren. "Finite Incantatum, Finite Incantatum." He stepped over the stunned robbers and walked into the kitchen. He dialed the police station and waited for an answer.  
  
"Surrey Police Department, Viola speaking. Do you have an emergency?" a voice on the other end asked.  
  
"Yes, I would like to report a break-in and attempted robbery at 4 Privet Drive." He waited for her to respond.  
  
"Have the robbers left your house?" Viola asked.  
  
"No, ma'am. I knocked them out when they came in my room."  
  
"Ok, we should have a unit there in about 15 minutes." Before she hung up he heard her say something into a radio and then the line went dead.  
  
He ran up the stairs to wake the Durselys. "Uncle Vernon, wake up. Some people broke in the house and I knocked them out. The police are on their way to come get them. Wake up!" He ran out of the room as soon as Uncle Vernon started to get up.  
  
In the kitchen he started to make some tea. Now that Uncle Vernon was getting up he would be yelling about not having tea and being woken in the middle of the night. He was putting the water on to boil when there was a tap at the window. He looked and there were about 5 or 6 owls all bearing important looking messages. I guess the ministry has me on watch. I am sure that Professor Dumbledore will help me when I get back into the wizarding world.   
  
Just then the kettle gave a whistle and he busied himself making a cup of tea. There was a knock on the door and when he answered it two uniformed police officers barged through and began looking around.  
  
"They are lying just beside the stairs," he said.  
  
"Thank you, young man," the first officer replied. He walked over to the robbers and kicked them to see if they were moving. When they didn't he started looking for where Harry had supposedly hit them.  
  
"Ennervate, Ennervate," he whispered so the people would wake and the police would not ask him where he hit them.  
  
"Star, di- oh no," Warren said.  
  
"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used ag-" the officer broke off mid-sentence because of Uncle Vernon's yell.  
  
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY HOUSE!" he shouted as he came down the stairs. "Potter, you had better not be in any kind of trouble," he looked pointedly at Harry.  
  
"This is my uncle, Vernon Dursely. This is his home," Harry said to the policemen. "Uncle Vernon, they are here to get the people who broke in. That's why I woke you up."  
  
"Oh, right. Well, here they are. No need for you to stay any longer. I am sorry if that boy has caused you any trouble and I am sure he would love to help you escort those people to your car," with that said he turned on his heel and went back upstairs.  
  
"Would you like a cup of tea before you leave?" Harry asked politely.  
  
"Sure. By the way, who are you?" one of the cops asked.  
  
"My name is Harry Potter. I live here with my Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon, and my cousin Dudley. And you are?"  
  
"I am Valentine McLahan, and my partner and brother here is Phynn McLahan," Valentine replied.  
  
"Pleased to meet you," Harry offered his hand, "Please, sit. I will have your tea in a moment." He got busy making two more cups of tea. When he finished and put them in front of Valentine and Phynn, they quietly accepted and started to drink.  
  
After they finished, they pulled Star and Warren up and placed them in the back seat of their car. "We should be in touch with you or your uncle in a couple of days for your side of the story. These two will probably be sentenced and released."  
  
"Thank you, officers. May we meet again in a more pleasant situation." Harry watched them get into the car and drive off. He then crept upstairs to make sure Uncle Vernon had gotten back to sleep. He had. He went back downstairs, finished his tea, and tried to go back to bed.  
  
  
  
"Hello there, Tonks. Hope you have had a pleasant evening," Dumbledore said to an owl that had been sitting on his desk when he walked in. He turned his back to pick up a tea kettle and when he turned back around Tonks was in the owl's place on his desk.  
  
"How did you know it was me?" she asked.  
  
"Well, you are the only person that would be visiting me right now, the only person I know that has the animigus form of an owl, and the only owl I know that would have bright pink feathers on top of their head." The twinkle in his eyes seemed to grow as he said this. He set the tea pot on the desk and waved his hand over it. "Ah, the tea is done. Would you care to join me?"  
  
She nodded her head and started laughing at his antics. It took her almost five minutes before she could speak and another minute before she could drink the tea that Dumbledore offered her.  
  
"Thank you, Professor," she said as she sat in the chair across from his. "Have you found out when Sirius's will is going to be read?"  
  
"Yes, I have. The date is set for July 13. It was stated in a letter he left that it should be on this day as it is his birthday. It is only by coincidence that it fell on a Friday. Have you found the right amount of off-duty Aurors to pick up our young Mr. Potter?" he asked.  
  
"Yes. The crew will be me, Moody, and Shacklebolt. Moody has agreed to cast the Disillusionment charm on him again and we will be taking the scenic route," she replied.  
  
"Good, good. Very good. I am glad that you could organize it this quickly. I will go write Harry again as soon as you leave. You will pick him up at five o'clock on Saturday evening. This way his family will know that his is not coming back this summer. Oh, and please enter their house by the front door. After you knock that is. I would hate for his family to think wizards are accustomed to barging into their homes. Thank you very much, and I will see you at the next Order meeting. Good luck."  
  
She transformed back into her owl form, though this time she left of the pink feathers and flew out the window.  
  
Dumbledore chuckled to himself. "That girl will always amaze me." He picked up a rock on his desk that had some squiggly lines on it and looked at it for about five seconds before it glowed red. "Dobby, could you please come up here for a moment?" he said to the rock.  
  
"Yes, Master Dumbledore, just a second, sir," said a voice seemed to come from the rock itself. A moment later there was a slight 'pop' and Dobby was standing in front of him. "You called for me, sir?"  
  
"Yes, Dobby. Would you be so kind as to take a letter to a certain Mr. Harry Potter in his uncle's home?"  
  
Dobby's eyes got rounder than they had been. "Y-You want m-me to take a l-letter to H-H-Harry P-Potter, sir? I would love to. Thank you."  
  
Dumbledore chuckled again. "Ok, Dobby. I need just a minute to write it and then and you will be able to take it to him." He quickly wrote the letter saying that Tonks and her 'crew' would be there to pick him up on Saturday at 5 and that he needed to have all of his things packed up and ready to go. "All right, Dobby, take this straight to Harry and don't let his relatives see you. Stay there for as long as you like and don't get Harry into any more trouble."  
  
With another pop, Dobby was gone.  
  
  
  
It was Friday and Harry got the privilege of raking the back yard. _Oh, joy. Just what I always wanted to do. Rake the back yard of a family that hates me. This summer has been great._ He raked all the leaves into a big pile behind a tree.  
  
When they were all piled up, he put down the rake and jumped on the middle of the pile. A lot of the leaves had flown up and out so he had to rake them back up. He got some bags from inside and started to put the leaves in them.  
  
He had filled up about ten bags and was starting to get hot when he heard a pop. Before he could turn around something had attached itself to his waist.  
  
"Mr. Harry Potter, sir. I is coming to deliver a letter from Professor Dumbledore. He is trusting me so much with your letter and I is very happy I could come. He said that I could stay with you if I is wanting to and you is letting me. Please, can you ever allow such a lowly servant to stay with you. I promise I can help you lots with your work. I is very good at cleaning." He was looking at Harry as he said this and his words started running together. He stopped only because he ran out of breath.  
  
"Of course you can stay, Dobby. I would really enjoy you compa- What's the matter, Dobby?" he asked because there were tears streaming down Dobby's face.  
  
"Nothing is the matter with me, Harry Potter, sir. I is just so happy and you is such a great wizard for letting me stay with you. I is showing you how happy I am," and with that he snapped his fingers and all the leaves started putting themselves into bags.  
  
"Wow, thanks, Dobby. You really didn't have to do that. Would you like to go to my – er – room?" he asked. When Dobby nodded, he walked him back to the house. "Ok, Dobby, you have to make sure that none of the Durselys see you. If they do I will get in trouble and Uncle Vernon might try to hurt one of us."  
  
"I would never let nobody hurt you, Mr. Harry Potter, sir," Dobby said protectively.  
  
"I know Dobby, but Uncle Vernon doesn't know and he doesn't like magic or anything that has to do with it. You should just stay out of his way and if nobody sees you then I won't get in trouble," he said to make sure that Dobby understood what he was trying to say. When he nodded, they walked through the door and ran straight into Uncle Vernon.  
  
"Are you done yet, Boy? Good. Now you can start dusting the house." He turned around and stormed back off into the den.  
  
"Well, if you go wait in my room, I will try to finish my work as quick as I can. We will have to wait to get food until everyone else has gone to sleep." He led the house elf to his door, pulled it open and told him that he was not to go anywhere in the house until he returned. "See you in a little while," Harry said before he closed the door and went to work.  
  
  
  
Sirius's PoV  
  
I watched as a house elf popped out of thin air and was about to shout a warning when I realized that it was obviously not going to harm my godson. The elf snapped his fingers and all of the leaves bagged themselves. I started thinking of something Harry had said a couple of years ago. Something about a house elf that kept coming to see and warn him of Voldemort's attack on the school. I also remembered that that house elf also almost got him killed. I was just going to have to watch him for a little while if he was going to be staying here with Harry. They made their way inside and Harry stopped a couple of times to make sure Dobby understood what he was saying about the muggles.  
  
I followed them through the door and watched the encounter with Vernon. _There shouldn't be anyone that should be bossing Harry around like a common slave. He will be out of here soon though. Then he won't have that man bothering him._  
  
When they got to Harry's cupboard I stayed outside the door to make sure the elf would keep his promise and stay in there. After about a minute there was a snap and I knew he was up to something. I stuck my head through the door to see if he was gone, but he wasn't. That meant that he had probably done Harry's dusting.  
  
Harry came walking down the hallway with a thoughtful look. He opened the door and stepped in. I walked through it, all the way this time, and stood next to him. "You really don't have to show me how happy you are to be here by doing my chores, Dobby."  
  
"I is knowing that, sir, but I is doing it so you is not having to spend time doing them," Dobby said and I could tell he was sincere.  
  
"Ok, Dobby. You can help with my chores but you still cannot be seen."  
  
"Ok, sir. I promise I will not be seen."  
  
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!! 


	4. The Pickup and the Dropoff

A/N: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters you might recognize.  
  
FOR ALL THOSE WHO DID NOT SEE THE LETTER TO REMUS IT IS NOW IN CHAPTER 2 AT THE VERY END. Sorry, I did not realize that I had forgotten to put it in and my best friend told me that it **I**s a letter and **S**hould be in that chapter  
  
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!  
  
Chapter 4: The Pick-up and Drop-off  
  
Harry sat on his bed and waited to until Dobby climbed up beside him. "Dobby is very glad that Harry Potter is allowing him to stay," he said sincerely.  
  
"That's alright," Harry replied. "I'm really glad you could stay. Now I'll have company while I'm not working." Suddenly, he sat up in bed. "Dobby, I forgot to read the letter. Do you know were I put it?" He looked around the room, trying to see where he placed it. He reached into his back pocket and felt something there. "Never mind I found it." The front of the envelope said 'To Mr. Harry Potter, 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey.' _I wonder what Dumbledore had to say._ He tore open the letter and surveyed the contents. Inside it said:  
  
Dear Harry,  
I would like to apologize for making you go back to the Durselys.  
Tonks has arranged a small group to come pick you up at 5:00 Saturday  
evening. Please have all of your bags packed and ready to go when  
they get there.  
  
Sincerely,  
Albus Dumbledore  
  
"Guess what Dobby? Someone is coming to back me up. Tomorrow night. This is great. I will be gone from the Durselys soon and not have that many chores. Is Dumbledore going to let you come to Grimmauld Place with me?" he asked the elf.  
  
"I is not knowing, sir. But I can go and ask Master Dumbledore." with a slight pop he was gone. He got started writing the letters to everyone telling them to be ready on Monday.  
  
_I wonder what happened to those owls the Ministry sent to me._ He got up to go see and as soon as he stepped through the door all of the envelopes the owls had been carrying landed at his feet. _I guess that solves that problem._ He looked at the letters. All were addressed to him from the Misuse of Magic Department, Ministry of Magic. Obviously the Ministry had been keeping tabs on him. _I wonder if there is some way that I can keep the Ministry from being aware of what I do._ He pondered this thought all the way back to the cupboard. When he got back in he realized that he had somehow put all of the letters in his hand without knowing and brought them inside with him. He started to open them. They were all the same except for the times. _I think I will write a letter to Dumbledore about these. No reason for me to get expelled over a couple of burglars who chose the wrong house.  
_  
He was thinking about getting up for some parchment when suddenly a clean sheet came zooming to him from his trunk. _Oh, no. More magic. I better go get that letter before Uncle Vernon sees the delivery owl._ He ran out of the room and through the kitchen. Once outside he waited. He was there for about twenty minutes before he realized that there wasn't going to be a letter. _They must have decided to go ahead and expel me and didn't want to waste the parchment anymore._ He dejectedly went inside again as he thought of what he could do since he wasn't going to graduate from Hogwarts. _I could live in exile at Grimmauld Place. No one can find it unless Dumbledore tells them where it is and I doubt he would do that even if it did mean hiding a fugitive._ He sat down on his bed and closed his eyes to take a nap while he waited for Dobby.  
  
  
  
Sirius's PoV  
  
Harry opened the letter and was practically jumping for joy when he read it. He asked the elf if he could come with him to my house and when he didn't know he left to go ask permission. As Harry got up I followed him out the door. He went outside and I immediately saw him jump as he opened the door. Letters. And from the seal on them they were pretty important. He took them back inside without opening them and walked back to his 'room.' Once inside he ripped the letters open and scanned them. He sat back stared at the wall when a piece of parchment leaped out of his trunk and flew to him. He jumped about a foot in the air and ran from the room as fast as he could. He was standing outside when I reached him and seemed to be looking for something. After a while when nothing came he sighed and walked back inside.  
  
  
  
Dumbledore looked up at the sound that came from somewhere to his left. "Ah, Dobby. Back so soon?"  
  
"No, Master Dumbledore. I was just wanting to know if I could stay with Mr. Harry Potter at Grimmauld Place. He said I could stay as long as I is wanting to and you is allowing." he squeaked.  
  
"Yes, you may, Dobby. Before you go back to Harry though, I need you to tell Remus to expect company tomorrow night. That is all," he said before turning back to a contraption on his desk.  
  
Dobby left with another pop to see Remus.  
  
  
  
Remus jumped as a small creature appeared on the table in front of him. "Kreacher, you are not supp- You aren't Kreacher. Who are you and how did you find this place?" he asked.  
  
"I is Master Dumbledore's house elf, Dobby, and I is coming to give a message to you, sir," he blinked his large eyes up at Remus.  
  
"Alright, Dobby. What is your message?" he asked quietly, trying to calm the frightened elf.  
  
"You is to get ready for Mr. Harry Potter tomorrow night around 5 o'clock. That is when he is getting picked up," Dobby replied.  
  
"Thank you, Dobby," Remus said and then Dobby was gone.  
  
  
  
Dobby returned around midnight and when he went to tell Harry of his errands he found that the boy was sleeping. Instead of waking him up, though, Dobby decided to make himself useful by becoming invisible and going around cleaning everything so that Harry wouldn't have to do anything tomorrow. He started in the kitchen. There were dirty dishes in the sink and plates from the Dursely's meal on the table. He snapped his fingers and the dishes began cleaning themselves.  
  
In the den there was dust on the mantle and the table was covered with tea glasses and saucers. With another snap the cups and plates were washing in the sink and the dust had disappeared. The living room was not so bad. There was a lot of dust but not dishes.  
  
In the bathroom he made everything sparkle and sent all the dirty laundry to the shoot for wash later.  
  
When Dobby finished it was a little after one in the morning and he was exhausted. He went to the cupboard and lay down by Harry to go to sleep.  
  
  
  
Harry awoke to a soft breathing noise coming from beside him. He figured it was Dobby but did not want to wake him. He quietly reached beside him for his glasses and looked around to find where Dobby was but couldn't see anything. He grabbed his wand from his trunk and lit it. The light shone over the whole room but he still couldn't find the elf. He was not sure where a house elf would sleep so he started looking everywhere, starting with the smallest spaces and moving to the larger ones. He was starting to get frustrated when he noticed that the was a shadow on the floor right beside where he had slept that was in the approximate shape of Dobby. He walked over to it and squatted down to see if there was anything there. As the wand light got closer the shadow darkened and it was definitely an elf shaped shadow. He reached out to touch the shape and found that his hand stopped almost a full six inches above the floor. With a gasp he pulled his hand back and whispered, "Dobby, is that you?"  
  
"H-Harry P-Potter does not recognize Dobby?" The sound seemed to be coming from thin air.  
  
"Dobby, I can't see you," he simply replied.  
  
"Oh. Dobby forgot to make himself see-able, sir, and Dobby is really sorry," the elf squeaked.  
  
"That's ok, Dobby. What were you doing making yourself invisible anyway?"  
  
"Dobby was cleaning Mr. Harry Potter's house so that Mr. Harry Potter might be able to go outside to play and also might let Dobby stay for longer."  
  
"You didn't have to do that. And I am sure that since you have so graciously spent your time cleaning when you did not have to we will spend all day outside if that is what you want." Harry felt bad for Dobby because he thought that since Harry had chores that he would want the poor elf to go away. He looked at the clock. Almost nine. "Are you ready to go outside?"  
  
Dobby's grin covered most of his face and his snapped his fingers and became invisible again. "Yes, I is ready. We is going outside now?" he asked excitedly.  
  
Harry laughed and stood up to stretch. He was almost straightened when his head hit the ceiling. _I don't remember that ceiling being so low. I must have grown more than I thought._ He rubbed his head were it had made contact the bottom of the stairs and yawned. "Come on, Dobby, before my 'family' wakes up and wants their breakfast.  
  
They hurried out the kitchen door into the back yard just as Harry's great lump of a cousin made it down the stairs. He heard a banging sound and knew that Dudley was trying to wake him up to cook. "Wake up, cousin. Wake up," and with that he walked into the kitchen and turned on the television. He plopped the main part of his bulk on the two chairs opposite the counter that the telly sat on. He picked up the remote and was flipping through the channels to find something gory when his father and mother walked in. "Mummy, Daddy, I'm hungry and Harry hasn't made me my breakfast yet," he whined.  
  
"Awwww. Mommy's Duddikins is such a polite little angel," she crooned.  
  
Harry gave a snort at this. "Dobby, I am going to have to leave you out here for a little while so that I can go fix something to eat for 'Duddikins,'" Harry said through the laughter that was threatening to overflow.  
  
"Ok, Mr. Harry Potter, sir. Dobby will be sitting out here waiting for you to be done."  
  
Harry walked inside to start the meal. "It's about time you got up, Boy, Dudley is hungry," Uncle Vernon yelled, "And make sure you make enough for Marge, too," he finished.  
  
"Yes, Uncle Vernon," Harry said through gritted teeth as he reached for some skillets to cook with. Either Uncle Vernon didn't catch it or he chose to ignore the tone. He began with the eggs, beating almost a whole dozen in a large bowl and mixing in a bunch of bacon, green onions, and cheese. When this was all mixed up he poured it into a skillet and got to work on the bacon. When this was sizzling another skillet he opened a loaf of bread. He started feeding the bread into the half dozen or so toasters and had just put the last piece in when the eggs got done. He returned to the range and dumped all of the eggs onto a large, oval plate and set it on the table. The bacon was also done so he put it on another large plate that was covered in paper towels to drain. This was also put on the table. He let go of that plate and turned around in time to grab all of the slices of toast and dump them on yet another plate. He walked to the fridge and grabbed the marmalade and jam and set these on the table also. "Is there anything else I can get for you, Uncle Vernon?" he asked.  
  
"Yes, there is, Boy. You can have the pleasure of waking Marge this fine morning. Now, hop to," Uncle Vernon said with a wicked smirk.  
  
Harry walked from the room and ran up the stairs to his old bedroom. He quietly opened and closed the door. Standing with his back on the door he softly called to his aunt. "Aunt Marge, it is time to wake up." When she didn't stir he tried again, this time a little louder. "Aunt Marge, breakfast is ready." She sat up real quick-like and looked at who had woken her up.  
  
"You woke me up. Well, I will have to talk to Vernon about that. I don't want to see your scrawny face in the morning. I would rather you not be here but Vernon has been too kind and planned for your stay. What are you waiting for, Boy? Get out. I need my privacy."  
  
  
  
Sirius's PoV  
  
I watched as my godson walked out he door with Dobby to pass the day away and was almost immediately called back in to make breakfast for those people. They made him fix all that food for him and he didn't even get to eat any. It is a good thing that he gets food from the refrigerator after the Dursely's went to sleep. It made me so angry that I started thinking of what James and I did to some of the Slytherin's food as jokes. Maybe giving some of the things eyes that blinked at the person trying to eat it or making the food move as they put it into their mouths. _That would be really good except that Harry would get blamed and that lump of a muggle would try to beat him again. I'll just have to get them some time when Harry isn't here to be accused. _  
  
  
  
Harry ran from the room and down the stairs, slowing to a walk to re-enter the kitchen. "Go wait outside, Boy. I will call you when it is time for your chores." Uncle Vernon shouted as he walked through the door. Harry did as he was told and walked out the back door. Dobby jumped up and ran over to him. "Dobby was worried the big man would keep you inside all day even though there is no works to be done." He hugged Harry's legs so hard that his knees buckled. When Dobby realized what was happening, he snapped his fingers and Harry stopped.  
  
"Thanks, Dobby," he said breathlessly. He hadn't realized he was falling until he stopped halfway there.  
  
"That's ok, Mr. Harry Potter, sir. Dobby is helping you more."  
  
Harry sighed as he straightened himself up. He walked over to the garden to see if Mikkhail was out yet. **Mikkhail. Are you awake?** he asked in parsletongue.  
  
**Yes, I am.** came the answer from somewhere to the right of him. He watched as the bushes started moving and then a head appeared beside him.

**I am leaving today and would like to know if you still want to go with me. Where I am going there are plenty of rats and things for you to eat but there are some things that might be able to eat you because of their magic.**  
  
**I still would like to go with you, Harry. I think I will enjoy having food everywhere. Whenever you are ready just come out and call and I will come as soon as I can. ** Mikkhail hissed as he retreated into the bushes again.  
  
**Ok, I will.** Harry replied before walking back to Dobby. "We are taking someone else with us to Grimmauld Place, Dobby. My friend, Mikkhail, is in need of a home, also."  
  
Dobby looked at him with those big green eyes. "Harry Potter is so kind and generous to other creatures. Not even unworthy house elves like me are overlooked." Tears ran down his face again and he started choking on his words.  
  
Harry didn't know what to do so he pulled Dobby up and tried to reason with him that he only did what he thought was right. Instead of comforting, though, his words made the elf cry harder. _Oh, no. I wonder what I did this time to make him cry. I really don't like to see him like this but it seems that the _Malfoys_ have never treated him like anything but scum stuck to their shoes. I bet they told him that he should be glad he was their house elf, and that no one else would take such a creature as him. _ Even the voice in his head sneered with malice at the thought of those people.  
  
"Come on, Dobby. Let's go inside. We can start packing my trunk. Ok?" Harry hesitantly said, still trying to cheer the elf. At these words, Dobby's head popped up and his smile was on his face again.  
  
Harry knew it had worked and told Dobby to make himself invisible so that they could go inside again. They walked through the kitchen and were in his cupboard before anyone could stop them. "I can't believe they didn't see us," Harry said as he plopped down on the floor. After sitting for about five minutes, he got up and started packing all of his things. Dobby occasionally moved things around but for the most part he stayed out of Harry's way.  
  
"Wow, Dobby. It's already 4:30. In half an hour we get to go home. Let's hurry and get Mikkhail though. I don't want to leave him behind." They ran back outside quickly so that no one would notice and try to make him do anything else.  
  
In the garden, they got down in the bushes and while Dobby was looking Harry was calling out for him. When Mikkhail did show up, Harry said, **It's almost time to go. We have about fifteen minutes now that we found you. Can you ride in Hedwig's cage until we get there?**  
  
**Yes, Harry, are we going now to this cage?** If snakes could have grinned, Mikkhail would have had the biggest smile. He looked ready to go.  
  
Harry gently lifted him up around his neck and told him to hold on. The boa complied and when they were in Harry's cupboard again and Mikkhail was settled down in the cage Harry turned to Dobby and said, "Any minute now and they will be here to pick me up."  
  
As he finished saying this, he heard the doorbell ring. "Ok, Dobby, you can come to the door with me but you have to be invisible." Harry was walking out of his 'room' when he heard Uncle Vernon yelling from the kitchen. "Get that, Boy. And don't scare whoever it is away."  
  
"Yes, Uncle Vernon," he yelled back. He answered the door but didn't see anyone. "Hello, is anybody out here?" he called. He turned to close the door when an old lady with a large bun pinned up on the back of her head step up and said, "Quick, Harry, get inside and grab your things. I have to go talk to your uncle about your leaving for the rest of the summer."  
  
Harry nodded and turned around to run and get his things when he suddenly found himself on the floor. "Dobby, are you alright?"  
  
"Yes, Mr. Harry Potter, sir. Dobby is fine. Is you ok?" came a small, squeaky voice to his left.  
  
"I'm ok. Let's go get my stuff and Mikkhail. Then we can go listen to Tonks and Uncle Vernon." They got all of his belongings by the front door and ran into the living room to listen to the conversation that was going on between Tonks and Uncle Vernon.  
  
  
  
Sirius's PoV  
  
_Harry is leaving! He is going to my house none the less. I am happy that he is finally leaving that 'family' he had to stay with. I will be able to get back at those muggles as soon as I see that Harry is safe at Grimmauld Place.  
_  
  
  
"That blasted boy and his ruddy bird will not be going back to that bloody school. You and all your freakish people will just have to get over it. I refuse to let him leave this house." Uncle Vernon apparently wanted to keep his nephew for a slave.  
  
Tonks would have none of it. "What are you going to do about it? I can bind you to your chair from fight here before you could even stand up." Her hair had changed from being gray and honey brown to being fiery red and orange with the colors continuously changing around. The wrinkles were gone also. She now looked like a shapely woman whose head is on fire.  
  
Uncle Vernon quailed at this sight. You could almost see the cogs in his head turning as he thought about losing his 'nephew' or angering this woman any further. He decided against making the witch standing before him any angrier. Instead he glared at her. "If you take him away, he is not to come back. Ever. I want nothing to do with that -boy." The way he finished that sentence told everyone listening that he meant what he said.  
  
"Ah, Harry, it's time to go. You will be staying with Remus at your godfather's house and, as you have just heard, do not have to return here for the next summer break," Tonks said happily.  
  
"Ok, my trunk is in the living room. I just need to get my broom and we will be ready." He ran back to the cupboard and grabbed his broom. When he walked back into the living room, Tonks was shrinking his trunk. "We can shrink the cage, but the snake can't stay in it and I don't think it will like the ride there because it is going to take a while."  
  
"Dobby, would you mind taking Mikkhail to Grimmauld Place while we take the long, scenic route?" Harry asked.  
  
Dobby smiled, picked up the cage containing the snake and, with a pop, was gone.  
  
Tonks opened the front door and called into thin air, "Team, we are ready."  
  
Immediately Moody and Shacklebolt appeared in the doorway.  
  
"Alright, Harry, time to go. Get on your broom and stay between Tonks and me. Shacklebolt will be in front of you at all times."  
  
He nodded and jumped on his broom. As he was about to kick off, Tonks ran up to him and handed him his miniaturized trunk. "Thanks," he said. She waved him on and he kicked hard off the ground.  
  
It seemed that his Firebolt had been as eager to fly as him. It shot him up much faster than usual and as the wind whipped through his hair he realized that it had been way too long since he had flown. He tilted the handle until it was almost perpendicular with the ground and flew down as fast as he could. At the last possible second he pulled out of the dive in one of the best Wronski Feints anyone had every seen. His joy overflowed and he started laughing. He took off again just as Moody and Tonks lifted off to join him. He did flips and dives all over. When he finally did stop, Tonks was cheering him on, Shacklebolt was staring in wonder, and Moody had a smile on his gnarled face.  
  
"Hope you got that out of your system. Now, come here."  
  
Harry flew over to him. Moody waved his wand, muttered the incantation, and tapped Harry on the head with said wand. Harry felt as if an egg had been cracked on his head and the contents were running from the wand tip. When it was done, he gave a slight shiver, and noticed that the light seemed to bend around him now.  
  
"Time to go," Shacklebolt said. They got in formation and started flying in the general direction of London. After about and hour, they flew above the clouds and turned back towards Surrey. After another two hours that way, they flew more to the left. Harry figured they should be around where Grimmauld Place would be and could see the lights of the cities through the clouds occasionally and noticed that they started dimming and becoming more spread out.  
  
Moody started them going down toward a particularly dim area and when they were all touched down, motioned everyone to stand still. After about fifteen minutes of quiet he said, "Ok, everyone inside. I don't think anyone followed us but just in case, be quick."  
  
Everyone nodded their heads and hoisted their brooms. They walked to the place between 11 Grimmauld Place and 13 Grimmauld Place and waited for it to appear. When it did, they walked quickly up the steps and opened the door. Inside they set down their brooms and started walking to the kitchen.  
  
  
  
Remus's PoV  
  
I was sitting at the table with a couple of other Order members when I heard the door open and close. Making excuses to get up I ran to the door to see who had arrived. When I saw Harry standing between his guards I raced up to them all and asked, "How's it going, Harry?" Before I knew what had happened Harry had hit me with a hug that would rival a death hold. "Harry...have—to—breathe."  
  
"Oh, right, sorry about that, Remus." Harry said.  
  
"S'okay, Harry. How have the muggles been this summer?" I asked. He hadn't said anything about them in his letter so I figured they had been okay.  
  
Harry's smile turned into a dark scowl. "Uncle Vernon kept getting mad and almost beat me with a belt twice for no reason." His face lightened into a thoughtful look. "Every time he tried though he couldn't and it just made him madder and madder." He seemed to be lost in his thoughts and instead of continuing on to the kitchen walked upstairs and into his room. I heard the door close and started to go up after him when Moody stopped me.  
  
"I wouldn't do that right now. He just needs some time to think about it for a little while." I nodded as if I understood, but I really didn't. Moody accepted it, though, and walked into the kitchen for tea.  
  
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!


	5. Sirius's Last Will and Testament

A/N: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters you might recognize.

Chapter 5: Sirius's Last Will and Testament

The house started to clear out about an hour after Harry had gone to his room. When almost everyone was gone Professor Dumbledore came to speak with him. "Harry, I am truly sorry that your family has sent you from their house. I did not think that they would have a problem with your living there."

"It's alright, Professor. They have never accepted me and if I had been there much longer something was bound to happen. I am just glad that I could get out before the Ministry could have any more reason to expel me. By the way, is there some way that you can clear those owls I got?"

"Ah, I was wondering when you would remember them. They have already been taken care of. We wouldn't want the Ministry to be after you for self-defence. They seem to find too much wrong with you and not remember that you are to save their lives sometime in the future. If only they would look at what you have already done and stop to think of what you will do," he said with a sigh.

Harry just nodded his head and stared at the floor. After a brief pause, "You really do believe that I will beat Voldemort, don't you? That I won't fail and leave the world in darkness?"

Dumbledore replied, "Yes, Harry, I do think you will succeed and I am willing to put my life and knowledge at your disposal in this dour quest. Now that we know that you have my complete faith, will you join the rest of us downstairs?" He watched as Harry stood and extended a hand. He took the hand and shook it. Harry turned to the door with a renewed sparkle in his eye and led the way downstairs.

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Sirius's PoV

I watched as Vernon sent Petunia into the kitchen to make some tea for the family. The only reason he kept Harry around this long was his usefulness in chores. When Vernon was alone I sat on the couch beside him. "Vernon," I whispered in his ear. When the man jumped I almost laughed out loud. "That was a very bad thing you did earlier. You should apologize."

Vernon seemed to think this over. He looked around as if trying to see me. When he didn't see anything he stiffened and walked into the bathroom, probably to splash his face with cold water. I walked into the kitchen to see Petunia reaching for some tea cups in a cupboard above the sink. "Petunia, how come you did not stop your husband last night when he sent your nephew from this house. You know you are the only reason he has lived this long…" There was a loud sound as she dropped the cups in her hand.

She bent down to pick them up when Vernon came running in.

"What in the blazes did you do?" he hollered.

"Nothing, Dear. I just dropped some cups on accident. They will be cleaned in a minute."

Vernon started mumbling and stormed back out into the den.

These people have yet to figure it out. I wonder what they think they are hearing. I walked through the kitchen door and up the stairs to find that great lump, Dudley. He snoring was terribly loud. I ran my fingers across his arm. He turned his back to me so I blew on his neck. He swatted where my breath had ruffled his hair.

"Mummy, what's for breakfast?"

"How about some candy, Dudley? Remember that candy those people left? Your tongue got pretty big after you ate that." I used a voice as close to Petunia's as I could get and was almost rolling with laughter that I couldn't let him hear.

It took a little while but it finally penetrated his brain that I was talking about the Weasley's Ton Tongue Toffee. He jumped from his bed and ran out of the room without pausing to see if anyone was in the room with him.

Downstairs the Dursleys sat at the kitchen table without talking.

Each must think that they are the only one hearing me. With Vernon's hate of abnormal things this is not something they would bring up easily at the table.

I hardened my hand and picked up the marker to the dry-erase board on the fridge. I wrote 'Harry' all over the board and didn't stop until there was nowhere else to write it. Everyone started screaming and running around, which I am sure was quite difficult for that great lump of a boy, Dudley, with all his great bulk swinging every which way. I decided to bide my time until my next attack on the family that threw out my godson.

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In the kitchen of 12 Grimmauld Place, Dumbledore sat at the table with Harry on his left. He told Remus to sit also

"On Friday July 13 we will be going to the Ministry of Magic Headquarters to hear Sirius's will. He left a record of this in a locker that can only be opened by one of the three of us touching the door. Lily and James were also listed but Sirius remodeled it so that everything that would go to them would be given to Harry. You must be present at 9:30 a.m. in three days time. I will see you then." He stood and walked out the door to apparate to Hogsmeade.

Neither Harry nor Remus could think of anything to say to each other so they went to their bedrooms to think.

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

The three days went quickly with hardly any visitors and the Weasley's arrival looming nearer. At 9:15 Remus grabbed Harry's shoulder and apparated to the guest entrance of the Ministry of Magic. "I guess this is it," Harry said.

"Yeah," was all Remus would answer. In the booth they received visitor's tags and were lowered to the main hall where they waited for Dumbledore to arrive.

They sat down on a bench and were looking around when Dumbledore walked up to them. "I suppose you are ready? Good. We will begin a little earlier than planned. Follow me to his locker."

They walked down so many corridors that Harry lost track of how far they had gone. Finally, they reached a room that had lockers of all shapes and sizes around the walls and in stacks in the middle of the floor. Dumbledore led them to one of the lockers on the wall that looked like one you would find in a train station.

"Harry, since you are the closest to related we have, just turn the handle and open the door." he said.

When Harry touched the door his hand started tingling and he heard a click and knew the door had unlocked. Inside was an orb that looked like a crystal ball filled with navy blue and black smoke. As he pulled it out it started glowing. Dumbledore cast quick but powerful locking and silencing charms on the door to make sure they would not be interrupted.

The smoked swirled faster and faster until it was just a blur. An image was projected about the ball and became clearer as the smoke moved. It was an image of Sirius just before the battle at the Department of Mysteries.

"This is the last will and testament of one Sirius Black. Since I am the last remaining Black, the family fortune has been passed on to me. As I am no longer alive and do not have an heir I am dividing my belongings among Albus Dumbledore, Remus Lupin, and Harry Potter. Albus is to receive one-third of the money in my vault and 12 Grimmauld Place. Remus is entitled to one-third of the vault and half of my remaining family homes. Harry Potter is to receive everything else. I also ask that Remus take Harry as his godson, and that Harry accept Remus as his legal guardian. I wish you all long and fruitful lives and more peace than I had. Thank you." Sirius's image disappeared after it finished talking and the smoke inside the ball stopped moving and became translucent.

"Well now." Dumbledore said somberly. "I should be going," and walked out the door.

"He really is gone then, isn't he?" Harry asked. "He isn't going to come home one day and tell us it was all just a big joke, that he was just transported somewhere faraway and tell us a fantastic tale of how he barely made it past a pack of Hungarian Horntails? Or that he was…." he trailed off into silence.

"C'mon, Harry. We should leave now." Remus picked up the ball and put it back in its locker. Harry stood slowly and started for the door. He looked back once at Remus and then went out into the hall to make his way back through the building to the exit.

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Remus's PoV

I apparated Harry back to Grimmauld Place after we went to a muggle restaurant not far from the Ministry building. Inside Harry went up to his room and I sat at the table staring aimlessly at a spot in the carpet.

"Hello? Is anyone there? Hello?" a sound floated around the room. I jumped at the familiar voice. Looking into the fireplace I saw the unexpected face of Mrs. Weasely.

"Molly! Hello!" I surprised myself with such a calm tone. "How's everything going over there?"

"Everything is just fine. Almost packed. Ron should be ready in a day or two. Are you sure they can stay with you for a while?"

"Yes, Molly. I think that it will be a good thing for Harry to have some people his own age around."

"Alright. I was just making sure before the flooed over. –No. Not that one. I'm sorry, Remus. I need to go take care of a few things." And her head disappeared from the fire.

I immediately got a paper and quill and began writing a letter to Hermione. Maybe she would also like to stay for a while to help cheer Harry.

When I finished I coaxed Hedwig into taking the letter to her. I watched as she flew away, and when she was just a speck in the sky I turned from the window to make some tea.

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Harry's PoV

I lay down on my bed to relive some of my best memories with Sirius. Now that I knew he was really gone, I thought I should do this.

Harry. There are many mice here to eat. Mikkhail hissed.

Yes, but you should still watch for the ones that can hurt you. Er….have you ever lost someone close to you? I hoped he might be able to help me understand this better.

My mother. She was a great boa to know. People caught her when they found me, and when she attacked them in order to try and free me they killed her. I couldn't even run away after that.

I thought it over for a little while. That seemed very terrible indeed, but Mikkhail appeared to have eventually gotten over it. Thanks. I stood up, grabbed Mikkhail, and advanced downstairs. Maybe Remus would have something to eat in the kitchen.

In the kitchen I found Remus just sitting down a the table with a steaming mug of tea. There was another cup on the counter and when he saw me he pointed to the cup and said, "For you. I was going to bring it up after it cooled a little"

I picked up the cup and sat across the table from Remus. The lines around his eyes belied the worry he must have felt when I went upstairs without a word.

"Thanks." was all I could say. I sipped my tea and pondered what to do with my time afterwards. I could go study some for the test that were going to be given in the first of every course. I didn't feel like doing that though so maybe I would just stare at the ceiling in my room some more. That was what I would do. I finished my tea and went back upstairs. Mikkhail had slithered off to hunt some mice in the drawing room so I there was no need to carry him back upstairs so soon.

**To everyone who reads this chapter, I am really sorry if it wasn't that great but I ran out of ideas and this is the first time I have worked on it in months. **


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